Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
A breastfeeding mother is among the 37 worshippers abducted from Ariko village in Kaduna State on Easter Sunday who remain in captivity, social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, revealed on Friday in a video clip posted by the kidnappers on TikTok showing the victims still in their custody two months after the attack, as families and rights groups continue to demand urgent government intervention.
The video, which surfaced on June 19, 2026, shows the abducted victims, including the breastfeeding mother, still held in the bandits' camp. The kidnappers reportedly posted the footage on TikTok. VeryDarkMan shared the video on social media, calling attention to the plight of the victims and demanding immediate government action.
The abduction occurred on April 5, 2026, when heavily armed bandits stormed ECWA and Catholic churches in Ariko village, near the Gurara Dam in Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna State, during Easter Sunday services. The attackers opened fire indiscriminately, killing five worshippers and abducting approximately 37 others. Among those taken were two elderly blind men, two women whose husbands were killed during the attack, several young children, two critically ill women, and entire families comprising husbands, wives and their children.
In the days following the attack, the Nigerian Army claimed it had rescued 31 of the abducted worshippers. However, community leaders and the Kuturmi Development Association (KUDA) dismissed the claim as "entirely false, misleading and does not reflect the current situation". The community insisted that not a single abducted person had been rescued and that families were still in direct contact with the abductors. The police confirmed that only seven victims were rescued, while the rest remained in captivity.
As of June 18, 2026, the 37 residents kidnapped from Ariko Community have spent 74 days in captivity. The Kuturmi Unity Development Association (KUDA) disclosed that the victims have been in captivity for over 70 days, with families left to suffer in silence, with little evidence of a coordinated and determined effort by government authorities to secure their release.
The conditions of the captives have been described as harsh and inhumane. Reports indicate that a woman who was heavily pregnant at the time of her abduction gave birth in the bandits' camp. Another report confirmed that a breastfeeding mother was among the victims, as highlighted in the recent video shared by VeryDarkMan.
The abductors have demanded a N1 billion ransom for the release of the 37 worshippers. They later updated their demands to include 35 motorcycles. Families of the victims have expressed their inability to raise the sum, crying out to the government for intervention.
Human rights groups, including HURIWA, have demanded the immediate rescue of the Ariko church hostages. The Southern Kaduna Journalists Forum has also called on the Kaduna State Government, security agencies and other relevant authorities to secure the release of the abducted worshippers. The victims continue to languish in captivity as the days turn into months, leaving families in anguish and uncertainty over their fate.
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